Expanded (Regional) Pilot and Feasibility Program

Project Summary/Abstract – Expanded (Regional) Pilot and Feasibility Grants Program The specific aim of the Michigan Diabetes Research Center (MDRC) Expanded (Regional) Pilot/Feasibility (P/F) Grants Program is to stimulate new research and collaboration in the areas of diabetes, its complications and related endocrine and metabolic disorders in the region. This research may be in areas of basic biomedical science or clinical research. This program will fund at least 3 P/F grants submitted by investigators from our five regional partners per year. A minimum of $150,000 per year will be provided by the MDRC and a minimum of an additional $20,000 per year will be provided through cost-sharing agreements with the University of Toledo, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, The Ohio State University and Van Andel Institute. Each year, the MDRC will solicit applications for grants from full-time instructional or research faculty at these five institutions. Those eligible include: 1) new investigators without current or past NIH research support who are beginning careers in diabetes research, 2) established investigators new to diabetes research who wish to focus their expertise on diabetes, and 3) established investigators who propose innovative research in diabetes that represents a clear departure from their ongoing research. Applications are peer-reviewed by at least two extramural investigators with expertise in the area of the application. Those with merit, as judged by this review process and the Grants Program Advisory Council, which includes representatives from the five regional partner institutes, will receive P/F awards. The ultimate goal of the grant program is to enhance communication and collaboration among regional diabetes researchers, accelerate the pace of research, and enable awardees to generate sufficient preliminary data for successful applications for major research funding from the NIH or other national granting agencies.